Man jailed over racially aggravated posts

A man who shared racially aggravated online social media posts linked to national civil unrest has been jailed.

Lee Joseph Dunn, of Egremont, Cumbria, pleaded guilty to one offence of sending, by means of a public electronic communications network, a message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character.

Carlisle Magistrates' Court heard the crime occurred on 30 and 31 July.

The 51-year-old, of Church Street, who was said by his lawyer to have apologised and removed the content, was handed an eight week sentence.

District judge John Temperley told the Sellafield worker his term had been discounted by a third from 12 weeks in view of his guilty plea.

In a separate case, a woman appeared at Workington Magistrates' Court accused of stirring up racial hatred in a reply to a Facebook story about the storming of a hotel housing asylum seekers.

The 26-year-old entered a not guilty plea to a charge of publishing written material that is said to have been threatening, abusive or insulting and intended to stir up racial hatred.

No plea was entered and she is due to appear at Carlisle Crown Court on Wednesday.

The charge relates to a post made on Tuesday, 6 August regarding an attack on a hotel in Rotherham the previous Sunday.

Outlining the allegation, prosecutor Peter Kelly said: "What the Crown say is that the defendant effectively echoes the appropriateness of that action and suggests the same action should be taken at [a hotel] in this area."

The woman was granted bail on condition she does not post anything on any social media platform.

Unrest spread across the country after three young girls were stabbed to death in Southport on 29 July.

So far, 927 people have been arrested and 466 charged in relation to the disorder, a spokesman for the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said.

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